Needing Ankle Physical Therapy?
Healing from an ankle injury is can more complicated than most people think. The biggest problem with an ankle sprain is that because the muscles surrounding the ankle are extremely weak, they can no longer support the body’s weight and balance. Any little misstep can cause the ankle to re-roll or re-twist developing a new injury.
This means that after weeks or even months of treatment, one little twist can completely bring back the recovery of the ankle. At Cross Bay Physical Therapy, our Howard Beach physical therapists make sure this will never happen to you. There are several strategies that we use in our office that help the ankle remain safe and protected.
The Strategy Of Ankle Recovery
The first thing that you want to do is wear an ankle brace at all times until your ankle is fully recovered and strong. An ankle brace is a subtle brace that restricts the movement of the ankle making it virtually impossible for you to damage your ankle further. This extra protection goes a long way and actively prevents the rolling of an ankle.
The next thing to do is to use a combination of exercise, stretching, massage, and therapeutic modalities like heat, ice, electric stimulation, and ultrasound to both repair the damaged tendons and ligaments of the ankle and strengthen the ankle and it’s surrounding muscles. Doing physical therapy ensures that even if you make a little stumble, your ankle will have the strength not to roll. Here are a few examples of exercises that we implement in our office. Don't try them until first guided by one of our professional physical therapists.
- Balance with a Bosu Ball - Using a bosu ball, the patient balances on the ball with their ankle. The ball causes the ankle to wobble and the patient builds strength by holding their balance. This is perhaps the most effective exercise in physical therapy to strengthen the ankle quickly.
- Calf Raises and Stretches - Performing both calf raises and stretches not only gives the ankle more support but makes sure there isn’t any added pressure on the ankle. A tight calf can cause improper walking that leads the injuring the ankle again.
Cross Bay Physical Therapy helps patients recover from ankle sprains and strengthen there ankle reducing the risk of a future sprain. With ankle phyiscal therapy, strengthening the ankle is as important as the healing process because this injury can easily be re-ignited through a simple misstep. Physical therapy is a necessary part for the ankle to fully heal and support the body's weight.
Schedule Your Evaluation Today!
If you have an ankle sprain, call 718-835-0084 and schedule your evaluation today!
By Benjamin Bieber